Search

The Coast Guard was founded by Alexander Hamilton on August 4, 1790. In honor of the Coast Guard’s birthday today, I made this image down at Stearns Beach in Ludington at the newly redone Veteran’s Mall. My dad served in the Coast Guard for over 33 years. I used my external flash to light up the gold Coast Guard shield in the sidewalk and tried to time it when all the flags in the background were blowing sideways and looked nice.

Being there, just being there to patiently watch the rising sun first strike the tips dune grass and then slowly paint more of the grass is a mezmerizing experience. On this October morning, a pink sky finished the Lake Michigan Shoreline painting.

The heart of small towns and villages dotted across West Michigan agricultural areas is often a sizable grain elevator/feed mill operation. I think the Tri-County Feed Service facility provides an impressive entrance to New Era when approaching from the north.

Driving the scenic route home to Ludington tonight from the Muskegon State Park on Lake Michigan, I drove by White Lake long after sunset. I was shocked to see the beautiful afterglow in the distance. I pulled off the road, grabbed my camera, and made this image. Digital cameras see in the dark. It was much darker to the eye than this photograph appears.

I used a waterproof housing for my camera to make this unique photograph of the 140-foot USCGC Neah Bay. The Neah Bay is a Coast Guard ice-breaker and has a special low pressure air hull lubrication system which allows it to crush through over 20 inches of ice. F8 at 1/1250, ISO 400, 10-17mm lens at 11mm

Aerial Photos of Ludington

 

Like a picture out of its past, Big Point Sable Lighthouse keepers' quarters glow with lights, as they did when operated by the Coast Guard until the 1970s. Volunteers now occupy the dwelling, conducting tours and working on maintenance and restoration. Another time exposure of Big Sable Light at night was part of the first photo story I ever shot, for a photography class in college in 1969.

Bass Lake boats bathe in magic light on a September morning. I spotted this scene weeks before making the photograph. The lighting had been ordinary on several wild goose chases to the spot. It is rewarding to finally see the quality of light a particular picture needs. It makes up for the frustration I feel over countless pictures that are in my visual library, but remains only mental images, because the right conditions have not yet appeared in front of my camera lens.

In 1984 my dad bought a used 13-and-a-half-foot Boston Whaler Super Sport. Our family has had so many incredible adventures on this boat. It still looks like new and the old 25-horse power Evinrude outboard motor starts every year with just a few pulls. Now my kids are enjoying making memories on the same boat. Besides family fun, salmon fishing, and pan fishing, the main use of our Whaler today is for photography. With its triple hull, the boat does not tip to the side, even when three grown people are standing on the same side.

Have you ever been walking in a beautiful woods and felt like the trees were talking to you? While I walked to Inspiration Point inside Ludington State Park, I felt like if I just stopped walking and listened with my eyes, I would be able to hear the trees' stories. I tried to record their stories with my camera.

Aerial Photos of Ludington

4th of July Cruise

 

Sea, shore and sky abound with more curves than a curvaceous woman. S-curve shapes have been pleasing the eye of artists and art lovers for centuries. An August sunset afterglow highlights the clouds and meandering Lake Michigan shoreline between Ludington and Pentwater.

On Guard to guide mariners safely past a treacherous point that juts into Lake Michigan, Big Point Sable Lighthouse has stood the test of time since 1867. The Coast Guard stopped operating the lighthouse in the 1970s. Vandals nearly destroyed the vacant dwelling before volunteers teamed up to begin restoring the tower and keepers' quarters to their original grandeur. Today, Big Sable Light stands as testimony. People with a dream, goal, and willingness to give of their time, talents, and money can accomplish great deeds. Abraham Lincoln, who approved the light's construction, would applaud this achievement.

On my way home from Ludington State Park I have just enough time to shoot the sunset after finishing a photo tips program Brad and I put on at Big Sable Point Lighthouse. What a summer for sunsets this continues to be. F4.0 at 1/500, ISO 800, 500 mm lens at 500 mm

The beach house at Ludington State Park has recently been renovated by the State of Michigan. It looks more beautiful than ever. I waited a half-hour for the tall ship Peacemaker to get in just the right spot on the horizon to make this image.